I feel sorry for Barkha on one count – this whole episode is termed “barkhagate” when other journos too feature in the tapes. But hey, things like this have happened before too. For example, India’s growth rate pre 1991 is called “Hindu rate of growth” when it actually should be called “Nehru rate of growth”.

1. How many “all sorts of people” do you entertain in a middle of the night phone call? You surely knew who Niira Radia really was and why she was doing what she was doing?

2. You said you were “Gullible”. If YOU are gullible, then where do we, the common people, stand? Actually, its not you, its we, who are gullible.

3. Please answer what Manu Joseph asked you. If you really were Gullible in 2009, why did you refuse to even accept the truth in April 2010 when this story came out first? Why didn’t you think of putting out your story on how you were taken for a ride by a Corporate Lobbyist?

Will NDTV give the same kind of luxury to other people, on whom they make baseless allegations, to defend themselves??? On prime time televison? With a few sympathetic observers asking a few inane questions?

Unfortunately her arguments lack teeth and substance to it. She took off on an emotional pitch and lost her cool. She is peeved as she confronts stating that she is the only soul holding ethical torch light.

Barkha has not been able to clarify her position regarding passing information to Ghulam Nabi Azad.

She could not clarify her position the story of Corporate Lobbyist trying to pitch fork Raja into the Telecom Minister’s slot in year 2009 and year 2010.

Conclusion: Barkha feels the biggest story is Journalistic Ethics has been violated. That is the story of the Century !!!

Alas, she has not learnt her lessons of Journalism yet. As good as a fresher from school, but not from school of Journalist.

Now wondering on how NDTV is still able to hold onto to her story.

To top it all Sonia Varma did a very bad job of a moderator as she let the loose cannon go amuck.

Why were you so soft on Priyanka Gandhi in the interview you took just before elections?
Why did NDTV interview PM’s family just before elections and not interview L K Advani’s family?
Why is your reportage filled more with emotion and less with logic?
Why did you tell Niira Radia “I’ve been up all night. The stalemate continues yaar. “. So, did you try all night to sort out the stalemate?, or were you awake all night to see if stalemate ended?
Why does your tone in the tapes suggest that you wanted the stalemate to end?
Why do you think that people want to know who will become Telecom minister, and not that some PR person of Tata wants this guy to become Telecom Minister?
What conversations did you have with Niira which were not recorded?
How many people like Niira do you know?
Why are you on first name terms with a PR lobbyist?
Why does Niira believe that you are a person who can talk to Azad and set some things up?
Why are you on first name terms with Niira?
Don’t you have any sort of shame to not resign till now?
Do you think you have the moral fiber to ask for resignation of politicians now?

Your body language gave you away,Barkha. You knew you were caught on the wrong foot. Except Manu, others were clearly playing to a scripted drama. Own up and ship out. You need some fresh air. Wont watch your channel if you are in it.

BD’s argument about other journ’s ethics was very similar to BSY saying “I have done what others did in past”. Also I got the same feeling listening to Ratan Tata in the WTT interview with Shekar Gupta, if we could replace India with Karnataka, then it would as though seem BSY talking. Was Bill Clinton above all of them when he accepted his mistake, of having an affair, to whole world.

I heard on NDTV Q&A of few journlist with Barkha this morning & I am of the firm opinion that Barkha is not only lying but is amongst other most corrupt & black mailer Journlist & this is the reason,she was awarded with PADAMSHREE. Shame on all those corrupt politicians who nominated Barka & few more undeserving journlist for such prestigious National award.It is a gross insult to National Award. Barkha is established LIAR & should be exposed by honest & non biased print&electronic media.

1) Would you or would you not have relayed the DMK/Nira Radia message had you met Ghulam or talked to him on that fateful evening by chance? Notwithstanding whether you intended to or not, whether you fibbed to Nira or not. If you had actually had a conversation with him, would you not have “shared this piece of info” as well? Do you realise you may have “lobbied” on several occassions, while bartering information?

2) Do you think you may as well join politics now?

3) Will you present yourself for scrutiny on “We The People” next?

4) If you stay on in journalism/NDTV, or after you quit, will you script a Ethics Guideline for TV journalists, dipping into all the mishaps you had –Kargil, Mumbai blasts, 2G etc?

5) How about a tete-a-tete with other taped journos, to be aired live to uphold freedom of the press?

6) Are you a misogynist… there was no woman journo on the panel to grill you?

***

Aam janta cannot vote on this. Who reads so many newspapers routinely to be able to judge? To my knowledge, loyal TOI readers have rubbished it, loyal DH readers have switched, IE readers complain about lack of ads and being deprived of local information and so on. The Hindu regulars rarely switch. I wonder if that is an indicator.

Another telling commentary is that many common-man households these days subscribe to at least two newspapers. Which means a single paper is found wanting for many reasons.

NRI who are visiting shield littel English-reading kids from Indian newspapers, saying they are too descriptive of crime.

Business classes only glance at the leading business daily, enough to register the headline above the fold. Only if the headline is credible (they already know what is happening in the biz-world) do they take the trouble to read the full copy!

I think in the future, the visual medium has a chance of becoming credible if it rewrites the code of ethics. Simply because it can get others in the mainstream society to mouth the news (bytes)

For long, everybody knew that NDTV is a mouthpiece for Congress. Barkha did not answer Manu Joseph’s question till the end. There was no need to say that the show was not edited. It was obvious that the channel got people they wanted. Barkha spoke the way Manu Tiwari does, going off on tangent and bring in extraneous matters. I do wish NDTV does a show with all the journos.

In a world of scam kings, journo fixers, canny businessmen, billionaire Raja’s and crooked queens, the golden girl Ashwini from our own Mysore, has already been overtaken and forgotten. Considered India’s best hope after PT Usha, the shameless and disgusting news about Yeddi and Alibaba’s 40 thieves or Darkha Dutt has ruined all the fun in our daily life.

To this who are not aware, Ashwini bagged the Gold in the recent Asian games 2010 in womens 400 hurdles

I think they should have started the program, by first asking Barkha Dutt to define ethics, as she defines it. It would have helped to clarify matters and focus questions, as well as answers.

One has to always keep in mind that this issue is not only about and for journalists, but also for the general public. And maybe, just maybe, the general public isn’t as aware of journalistic ethics.

After watching the program and following, to a certain extent, Barkha Dutt on twitter, I can’t help but feel that she is ‘suffering’ from a persecution complex. Perhaps to a certain extent it’s warranted.

What was your main goal in taking part in the recent NDTV interview — was it to shut your opponents up by hook or crook? Isn’t this similar to you shutting one ofy our critics up in the past by threat of legal action?

Bharkha dutt is just a sore loser trying to pick up pieces of whatever is left it would have been better is she would have tamed her EGO and said sorry to the people who would have held her in good esteem.

Brakha like many journalits is an idealogue and o the payroll of corporate lobbies. Ofcourse there may not be an immediate swelling of Bank account but there are other intangible benefits. Barkha has her own Nehru Gandhi families for NDTV. There is nothing surprising about her. These things were carried out by Brkha for a long time. Thery are exposed only recently.

Vimal I agree NDTV’s Prannoy Roy was reared and nurtured by Congress for the elction analysis that he used to to do. It is obviuos from the programmes that they prepare and telecast. They highlight many issues and supppress many. Industry in India is the most corrupt but nobody dare point fingers at them. Ratan will get away with his Banana Republic comments. But the point is he is where he is because they have succesfully reduced India to Banana republic. They always focus on corruption in politics never the corruption in Industry who have sold everthing in this country to whoever fills their coffers.